Please Marry My Son (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 2
Madame, the owner of the VIP salon where Eric had attended matchmaking meetings, knocked and entered the office.
Inside sat the woman who had come in earlier carrying a stack of documents.
That woman, Miss Alicia Lancaster, smiled politely as Madame entered.
Despite having worked on paperwork for quite a while, she sat perfectly upright, prompting Madame to praise her impeccable and poised posture.
Madame had first met Alicia at the dressmaker’s shop. Since she was a business partner closely tied to the dressmaker’s Madame in various ways, she had been introduced to Alicia, who handled accounting and tax matters for the dressmaker’s—and now also assisted with the salon’s affairs.
“Are you still working on it?”
“There’s a bit left. Do I need to finish it by today?”
“No, no, that’s fine to take your time with.”
Madame came in and sat down in the chair beside Alicia’s desk.
“Thank you so much, as always.”
“Not at all—I actually find it enjoyable.”
“Goodness, enjoyable? Just looking at numbers gives me a headache.”
Madame shook her head and glanced at the pile of documents stacked beside her. Then she stared intently at Alicia for a moment.
“Do you have something to say?”
“Well… Do you remember Marquess Callen, whom you briefly greeted the other day?”
“Oh—yes.”
She honestly didn’t recall, but nodded anyway.
“It’s fine if you don’t remember. Honestly, it’s not really about the Marquess himself—it’s his son who wishes to meet you.”
“Madame…”
“Marquess Callen is an exceptionally wealthy man, you know? And his son is his sole heir, quite handsome as well—”
“Madame, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to decline.”
“I thought so. Yes, I expected that.”
At Alicia’s sharp refusal, Madame smiled knowingly and nodded. She wasn’t surprised—it was always the same reaction.
“Whew. Of course, I did expect that, but they’ve been so insistent on their end.”
How many times had this happened now? She’d been rejected so often that bringing it up again felt embarrassing.
But then again, this salon was no ordinary place—it was frequented by the Empire’s most prominent VIPs, so Madame couldn’t simply refuse without even trying.
“I’m sorry, Madame.”
“Oh, no—you have nothing to apologize for. If anything, I’m the one who should be sorry for always delivering these messages.”
Waving off Alicia, who smiled awkwardly, Madame stood up without hesitation.
“Well, I won’t disturb you any further.”
“I think I can finish by tomorrow.”
“Take your time, slowly. Don’t overexert yourself.”
“Yes, I will.”
As Madame turned to leave, she glanced back at Alicia once more.
Though only half-noble herself, Madame had met many young ladies through running the VIP salon, but Alicia was different.
She seemed to prefer work over men, was genuinely intelligent and capable, and carried herself with grace and dignity.
Moreover, her ingrained manners were clean and effortless—she was the kind of young lady one could introduce to anyone without fear of reproach, yet she remained utterly unapproachable.
Madame left the office, thinking it was truly a pity—had the match succeeded, she would have received enough gratitude to have several new outfits made.
‘Come to think of it, didn’t Earl Russell visit today? I’m sure I saw a reservation…’
Madame stopped a passing staff member.
“Earl Russell?”
“He left after just fifteen minutes.”
“Oh, it’s getting faster and faster.”
Not that it was surprising.
When taking the reservation, based on past experience, she’d only blocked off thirty minutes, and had been inwardly anxious just in case—but as expected, he hadn’t stayed long.
Next time, she could confidently schedule appointments in thirty-minute intervals. Though whether there would be a next time was uncertain.
[This is the timeline separator]As Eric exited the Imperial Palace after finishing his report to the Emperor, he ran into William, the First Imperial Prince.
“Hey.”
“Your Highness.”
“Heard you rejected another one?”
“Has the rumor reached even the palace?”
William leaned his arm on Eric’s shoulder and chuckled.
“Why not just get married already? At this rate, there won’t be any eligible young ladies left.”
Eric gently pushed the leaning prince away and frowned. He had nothing to say—and even if he did, he didn’t feel like speaking—so he simply kept his mouth shut.
“That’s exactly why they’ve nicknamed you ‘Britannia’s 3%,’ you know.”
“Just who on earth came up with such an absurd nickname?”
“Hmm. Beats me. I just heard it somewhere.”
Britannia’s 3%—it meant that among all marriageable noblewomen in the Empire, excluding those already engaged, betrothed, or in relationships, Eric had met nearly all of them, and that number amounted to 3% of the total.
“Where did such ridiculous gossip come from? Surely I haven’t gone that far.”
“So you admit you’ve met quite a few, then?”
“……”
Eric frowned regardless of the prince standing before him.
“At least try not to be so rude next time.”
“How did you even hear about that?”
“You don’t know that matchmaking salon is for VIPs? They say some woman there caused quite a scene, crying and making a fuss.”
“I couldn’t help it. They kept forcing a meeting even though I clearly said no—I lost my temper without realizing.”
When his father, the Duke of Gloucester, first brought up the idea, he’d rambled so strangely that Eric had worried he might be falling for a scam.
So he’d carved time out of his busy schedule and thoroughly reviewed not only the company’s business feasibility report but also the legal review documents before attending the meeting.
Of course, he did feel sorry for hurting a woman who had nothing to do with him. Normally, he preferred silence over such behavior at matchmaking meetings, but this time, even he had gotten angry.
‘Maybe I’ll get a chance to apologize someday. Hmm… What was her name again? Come to think of it, I don’t even remember her face well…’
He could only hope his parents had handled the situation properly.
Seeing Eric’s irritated expression, William gave a quiet chuckle and finally changed the subject.
“The report?”
“It’s finished.”
“Later than I expected?”
“His Majesty’s schedule ran long.”
“Well then, since you’re already late, let’s have a drink.”
“Here?”
“Where else? If I go outside the palace, it’ll cause a fuss—do you really want me trailing a dozen attendants just to have a drink?”
“……”
“Of course, with you around, even if trouble starts, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“You’re expecting trouble to start anyway?”
“It’s common, isn’t it? Get drunk, pick a fight, maybe even brawl—who knows.”
“You must be bored lately. It’d be serious if you fought with a civilian.”
“The prince has your back—what’s there to worry about?”
“So you’re basically telling me to start a fight?”
“What are you talking about? In times of peace like these, we might as well put a skilled Captain of the Knights to good use. Think of your salary.”
As William said, the continent had indeed been peaceful lately.
It had been over a year since the last conflict with the Valua Empire, once considered their rival, and ten years since the last incident involving a mage or the appearance of a demon.
Thus, even Eric, as Captain of the Knights, had remained stationed in the capital for nearly a year, with almost no conflicts requiring deployment.
“Then why do I feel even busier? I’d rather be stationed at the border.”
“Heh heh. Well, you have been busy arranging matches for the past year.”
Eric glared disapprovingly at William’s snickering, then finally fell silent.
“So are you unhappy—with this era of peace?”
“What are you saying? As a knight sworn to protect the Empire and its people, I should naturally be glad—”
“That’s exactly my point. As Captain of the Knights tasked with protecting the Empire’s citizens, why do you treat the Empire’s women so poorly?”
“……”
Clearly, William was just teasing him, so Eric, familiar with this routine, closed his mouth before the conversation could drag on.
“Tch, how boring.”
Knowing Eric’s silence meant he wouldn’t respond further, William clicked his tongue and removed his arm from Eric’s shoulder.
The two had been classmates at the military academy, so despite the prince-and-subject dynamic, they interacted quite casually.
And precisely because William was a prince, he was the only one who could speak so bluntly to Eric.
“I’ve changed my mind. Let’s go drink the salon’s special brandy.”
“But earlier you said you didn’t want to go out with attendants trailing you?”
“I’ve finally gotten some free time in ages, and I don’t want to spend it in the palace. Besides, as long as you’re with me, nothing bad will happen. Let’s sneak out.”
“……”
“Aren’t you managing your expression?”
“Oh, was it that obvious?”
William glared at Eric’s attempt to feign innocence, then grinned.
“Planning to drink until you die?”
“You go ahead. I’ll just watch you die.”
“You sometimes say really hurtful things so casually.”
“You, of all people—who knows all my rumors—calling that hurtful? Impossible.”
“Could it be you’ve forgotten I’m a prince?”
“Nonsense. Precisely because you’re His Highness the Prince, I endure everything you say without reacting.”
“You really never give in, do you?”
“Oh, so you want me to surrender? I didn’t realize you lacked pride to that extent.”
“Alright, alright, I give up.”
In the end, the prince raised both hands in surrender.
[This is the timeline separator]In the VIP salon office, Alicia turned the last page of the document.
“Alright. That’s it for here.”
She tidied her desk, checked the clock, and stood up. Once she delivered the final copy to Madame and gave a brief explanation, it would truly be over.
“I might be a bit late—better hurry.”
As soon as she opened the door, someone nearly collided with her, so she grabbed the open door to steady it.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Eric released the door he’d been holding nonchalantly and resumed walking with William.
As a prince, William occasionally used the staff’s rear corridor to enter and exit discreetly, and since the hallway was narrow, such near-misses happened from time to time.
“Oh. Quick reflexes. Makes your salary worth it.”
“……”
Alicia quickly stepped into the corridor to properly apologize, but the two were already far ahead. With no choice, she gave up and headed toward Madame’s office.
[This is the timeline separator]The meeting with Madame had taken longer than expected, and she was just hurrying out to board her carriage.
“Miss Alicia Lancaster. I’ve been waiting for you to come out.”
“Who are you?”
A stranger approached and spoke to her.
“I’m Richard from the House of Marquess Callen.”
“Oh, I see. What can I do for you?”
She recalled Madame mentioning a similar name.
She was certain she’d already refused, so she hadn’t expected him to appear in person.
Sensing trouble ahead, she sighed inwardly.
“Well… I know this is sudden and must be surprising, but there’s something I really need to tell you.”
“If it’s regarding the message you sent through Madame, I believe you’ve already received my response.”
“That’s true, but I thought speaking to you in person might convey my intentions more clearly—”
“I’m sorry, but my mind isn’t likely to change.”
“Lady Alicia.”
“I have nothing more to say, so I’ll take my leave now. I must hurry.”
“Then allow me to escort you home.”
“No, thank you. Goodbye.”
Alicia firmly declined and turned to board her carriage.
“Oh!”
Her arm was seized, and in an instant, she was yanked down from the carriage.
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
I love how they interact with each other. They feel at ease together.
Hahaha. The butler’s perfect timing. And Erik hiding his face.
Maybe I’m really wrong about it, but I think Alicia has something to do with what happened ten years ago and maybe her father is the leader of that group.